OF FREEMASONRY. ent Senior Warden is placed in this also in his apron," standing on a der an archway sunk in the solid sacred triangle, from which a ction, and within the arch 443 The prospect of it res, sanhedrim, priests, on earth. to imagine; ple ونا ith the emblems of the -, p. 188), "Whilst the apron es a disposition of innocence, and let the ignorant deride and scoff on. e and malice of the wicked, we will enfold garb of our own virtue; and, safe in a self-ap Science, stand unmoved against the persecutions of adver The raiment which truly implies the innocence of the heart, a badge more honourable than ever was devised by kings; the Roman eagle, with all the orders of knighthood, are thereunto inferior." 13 This beautiful pavement was common to all nations, under the name of Mosaic work. The Romans left behind them many beautiful specimens, which have been discovered in modern times, distributed throughout this island, and are preserved with great care as invaluable relics of the state of the arts in the first ages of Christianity. But we are furnished with records of this kind of work at periods much more remote. In the royal palace of Shushan, when Ahasuerus gave a royal feast to his nobles, the banqueting couches were of gold and silver, upon a tesselated pavement of different coloured marbles. (Esth. i. 6.) The Egyptians used painted walls and ceilings, and rich Mosaic pavements. Cleopatra inlaid her pavements with precious stones. In India the floors of their temples were enriched with polished stones, disposed in small squares, which reflected the beams of the sun in a variety of splendid colours. Thus Philostratus tells us that Apollonius saw in India a most glorious temple of the sun, the walls of which were of real marble, resembling fire, interspersed with streaks of gold; while the floor exhibited to the view an infinite variety of pearls and precious stones, artfully disposed in a kind of chequer work, which reflected the rays of the sun. (Vita Apoll. 1. ii. c. 11.) of the stream. The arch is situate at the foot of a winding staircase, where the ancient Junior Warden is stationed, clothed in his apron," and bearing a plumb rule in his hand, as a sentry or Tyler, to prevent any unauthorised person from ascending to the sacred chamber at its summit. The number of steps consists of three, five, seven, or more;" and as an additional precaution to hinder the occurrence of such an intru 10 "The lambskin, or white leather apron, is an emblem of innocence, and the badge of a Mason, more ancient than the golden fleece, or Roman eagle, more honourable than the star and garter, or any other order that could be conferred upon the candidate at that or any future period, by king, prince, or potentate, or any other person, except he be a Mason; and which every one ought to wear with pleasure to himself, and honour to the fraternity. The lamb has, in all ages, been deemed an emblem of innocence; the lambskin is therefore to remind him of that purity of life and conduct which is so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides." (Cross's Masonic Chart. p. 14.) It is somewhat remarkable that WHITE, as an emblem of purity and innocence, should have been used by the savage tribes of America. The prophet who accompanied Black Hawk and other chiefs to Washington, as hostages for the faithful performance of the treaty made with their nation, thus addressed the President of the United States,-" Father, I have come this day clothed in white, in order to prove that my intentions are of the most pacific nature, and"-raising his hands to heaven"I call upon the Great Spirit of myself and forefathers to witness the purity of my heart on this occasion." (Fellows. Anc. Mys. p. 230.) "These numbers are referred to in a degree called the Knight of the Red Cross. They are denominated the constitutional numbers, and are descriptive of the officers of the council, viz., the SovereignMaster, Chancellor, Master of the Palace, Prelate, Master of the Cavalry, Master of the Infantry, Master of Finance, Master of Despatches, Standard Bearer, Sword Bearer, and Warden. sion, the ancient Senior Warden is placed in this situation, clothed also in his apron," standing on a Mosaic pavement,13 under an archway sunk in the solid wall. Above is seen the sacred triangle, from which a glory emanates in every direction, and within the archway the walls are decorated with the emblems of the 12 Smith exclaims (Use and Abuse, p. 188), "Whilst the apron with which we are clothed indicates a disposition of innocence, and belies not the wearer's heart, let the ignorant deride and scoff on. Superior to the ridicule and malice of the wicked, we will enfold ourselves in the garb of our own virtue; and, safe in a self-approving conscience, stand unmoved against the persecutions of adversity. The raiment which truly implies the innocence of the heart, is a badge more honourable than ever was devised by kings; the Roman eagle, with all the orders of knighthood, are thereunto inferior." 13 This beautiful pavement was common to all nations, under the name of Mosaic work. The Romans left behind them many beautiful specimens, which have been discovered in modern times, distributed throughout this island, and are preserved with great care as invaluable relics of the state of the arts in the first ages of Christianity. But we are furnished with records of this kind of work at periods much more remote. In the royal palace of Shushan, when Ahasuerus gave a royal feast to his nobles, the banqueting couches were of gold and silver, upon a tesselated pavement of different coloured marbles. (Esth. i. 6.) The Egyptians used painted walls and ceilings, and rich Mosaic pavements. Cleopatra inlaid her pavements with precious stones. In India the floors of their temples were enriched with polished stones, disposed in small squares, which reflected the beams of the sun in a variety of splendid colours. Thus Philostratus tells us that Apollonius saw in India a most glorious temple of the sun, the walls of which were of real marble, resembling fire, interspersed with streaks of gold; while the floor exhibited to the view an infinite variety of pearls and precious stones, artfully disposed in a kind of chequer work, which reflected the rays of the sun. (Vita Apoll. 1. ii. c. 11.) hollow, for the purpose of serving as archives of Masonry, and to hold the constitutional records." And our traditions state, that within the cylinder or shaft of each pillar were contained the sacred rolls, which comprised the history of the Hebrew nation, their civil and religious polity, the works of the prophetical and inspired writers, and a complete system of universal science.22 They were profusely decorated with lily 21"As there is a seeming contradiction in the accounts of the height of these pillars, it may not be amiss here to reconcile that matter. In one place it is said of Solomon, he cast two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits high each (1 Kings vii. 15). In another (2 Chron. iii. 15), he made two pillars of thirty-five cubits high. To reconcile this seeming inconsistency, let us suppose the pedestal or basis of the columns to have been seventeen cubits high, this added to the eighteen cubits (1 Kings vii. 16; Jer. lii. 21), for the shaft, will together make exactly thirty-five cubits, the number mentioned; and if we add five cubits, being the height of the chapiter, we shall have the true height of the pillars, viz., forty cubits." (Calcott. Cand. Disq. p. 65.) The R. Ben Manassah thinks, however, that these two columns were cast of brass in one piece, of thirty-five cubits in length. This piece of brass being cut into two equal lengths, formed the two columns, each of seventeen and a half cubits. The half thus deficient was a part of the height of the capital, which is termed a crown, and was the lilywork at the top of it. (Concil. vol. ii. p. 77.) 22 The Jews affirmed that these two brass pillars contained the plans and patterns, or models, of the different members of the building, which were considered as the seeds or germs of the structure. The names of the pillars signified potency and perpetuity; the pomegranates on their capitals were symbols of generation. Hence they were esteemed to be of Phallic reference. "The two pillars," says Fellows (Anc. Mys. Pref. v.), who displays considerable learning and research to prove that the entire structure of Freemasonry is astronomical," the two pillars represent two imaginary columns, supposed to be placed at the equinoces to support the heavens (see work, net-work, and pomegranates, to denote the peace, unity, and plenty, with which the building of the temple was accompanied.23 Our traditions further state, although it must be by way of symbol, for I cannot find any authority which may give a sanction to the hypothesis, that on the exterior of one of the pillars were engraven, in hieroglyphical characters, the geography of the earth, the situation of the different countries on its surface, and the plans of a gracious Providence in the rise and fall of powerful empires." note 19). The one on the left is called Boaz, and indicates Osiris, or the sun, the one on the right is called Jachin, and designates Isis, the symbol both of the earth and its productions, and of the moon." This disposition of pillars at the entrance of a porch was practised in the construction of temples dedicated to the spurious Freemasonry. Thus the temple of Luxor at Thebes has a grand entrance," through a magnificent propylon, or gateway, facing the north, two hundred feet in front, and fifty-s -seven feet high above the present level of the soil. Before the gateway stand the two most perfect obelisks that exist, each about eighty feet high, and from eight to ten feet wide at the base." (Egypt. Ant. vol. i. p. 63.) And it should appear from this gateway, from the remains at Heliopolis, and the two obelisks at Alexandria, that they were generally used in pairs, and placed on each side of the grand entrance to a temple. There is a good engraving of these pillars in Wilkinson's Thebes. 23 They were considered finished when the net-work or canopy was thrown over them. They were placed eastward of the temple, as a memorial to the children of Israel of the miraculous pillars of fire and cloud, which had two wonderful effects, the fire to give light to the Israelites during their escape from their Egyptian bondage; and the cloud proved darkness to Pharoah and his followers when they attempted to overtake them." (Hemming's Lectures. Second Degree.) 24 This, however, was a very prevalent custom. We are told," says the Scholiast upon Apollonius, "that the Colchians have pillars GG |